IKEA manufacturing center set to open

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IKEA will open a new manufacturing facility in Danville, Va., on May 21. The manufacturing facility, at 930,000 square feet, is a slightly larger size than originally planned.

“We made excellent progress on construction last year, and our installation of equipment and machinery has gone very smoothly,” said Bengt Danielsson, North American president of IKEA subsidiary Swedwood. “Now our primary objective is to complete appropriate operational training for 175 coworkers as well as to ensure a seamless production and packaging process.”

There currently are 34 IKEA stores in the United States and 11 in Canada. Other new stores in North America will open in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Somerville, Mass.; and Tampa, Fla. IKEA also has seven distribution centers in North America, with facilities in Bristol, Pa; Brossard, Quebec; Perryville, Md.; Savannah, Ga; Tejon, Calif.; and Westampton, N.J. A northwestern distribution center will open later this year in Tacoma, Wash.